Chapter 4: The Gene Machine

This chapter talks about the different characteristics a gene needs to have in order to survive. There are many similarities with machines and computer. Therefore Dawkins who loves metaphors uses them for comparison.

"Behavior is the trick of rapid movement which has been largely exploited by the animal branch of survival machines" (page 47). Sometimes gene cooperate with each other in order to survive (co-evolution). This is a behaviour.

The timing of our muscle contractions is controlled by our neurones. Only living things that have to move in order to survive have neurones (plants don't). Neurones are cells with a longer, thinner wire-like projections. Sense organs are controlled by neurones and having this favours living things in the process of natural selection.

In order to function consciousness is needed. Machines or living things need to be motivated. Negative feedback is the fundamental principle which consists in measuring "the discrepancy between a current state of things, and the 'desired' state" (page 50). One form is the Watt governor. Genes act this way in living things. They don't act for their survival machines they just instruct us. They do "general prediction", for example the thick and white fur a polar bear has. When this generalizations are correct the 'machine' survives and propagates those same genes"(page 56). Genes exert ultimate power over behaviour.